Han Learns He Can't Always Fly Solo in "Renegade"
Written: Oct 28 '09
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Good characterization, nice use of secondary characters; building friendship between Han, Luke and Leia...
Cons: None.
The Bottom Line: Han Solo assassinate Luke Skywalker? Not in this lifetime.
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| JediKermit's Full Review: Alex Wheeler - Star Wars Rebel Force: Renegade |
At the end of Rebel Force Book Two: Hostage, Luke Skywalker has fallen into the sights of Imperial assassin X-7. The Emperor and Darth Vader are desperate to find the identity of the Rebel pilot who destroyed the Death Star, and they’re willing to pay for it. X-7 discovered Luke’s identity in Hostage, and took action in the final pages. At the beginning of Book Three: Renegade, we find that Luke, warned by his Force-attenuated senses just in time, jumped clear of the explosion that destroyed his speeder bike.
Han Solo is discovered with a load of detonite in the Millennium Falcon, and when he’s accused by the Rebel hierarchy of trying to kill Luke, Han and Chewbacca hit the road. They want to clear their name, but they also want to find the real assassin, never suspecting that X-7 is much closer than they could have imagined.
Author Alex Wheeler continues his race through the Original Trilogy era Star Wars universe, and Renegade is as entertaining as the first two entries in the series. Written for young adults, the slim 170 page paperback has plenty of adventure and action for Star Wars fans. The focus of Renegade stays on Luke, Leia, and Han Solo, and revisits locales on Tatooine familiar to those of us who love the Star Wars movies. We end up back in Jabba the Hutt’s palace, in the Mos Eisley cantina, and even at Tosche Station, visiting Luke’s old friends Deak, Windy, Camie and Fixer. They were cut from every release of Star Wars: A New Hope, but geeks will know who they are.
The book is fast-paced, with short chapters and well-known characters. Wheeler’s characterization of these classic heroes is good, and he manages to mix in enough suspense and new dangers to keep them on their toes. He also works in characters like the bounty hunter Bossk who would be known to fans, and make him more than just the hissing reptile we see in The Empire Strikes Back.
These books focus on the friendship building between Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, and Princess Leia, and this book in particular cements Solo as a part of that relationship. He strikes out on his own, sure that the others don’t like him, but in the end, their reunion is a sweet and permanent one. There are strong themes of trust and truth in Renegade, and I’d recommend it for readers in the middle grades, or the die-hard Star Wars fans who are looking for a good quick read to take their minds off of the Prequels.
Recommended:
Yes
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